Winstead Wandering

Prone to Wander

Miniature Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecakes

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What do you get when you combine creamy cheesecake with rich and decadent homemade peanut butter cup bars? You get these Miniature Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecakes.

What do you get when you combine creamy cheesecake with rich and decadent homemade peanut butter cup bars? You get these Miniature Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecakes.

J has two favorite desserts: cheesecake and homemade peanut butter cup bars. Last year for his birthday, I tried to combine those two using a springform pan and a no-bake cheesecake recipe. The resulting dessert was certainly tasty, but it was super messy and it just wasn’t what I had hoped it would be.

This year, I vowed to get things right.

What do you get when you combine creamy cheesecake with rich and decadent homemade peanut butter cup bars? You get these Miniature Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecakes.

I began by making miniature cheesecakes with graham cracker crusts. These little guys, on their own, are delicious. They’d be perfect as is, or topped with fruit. I didn’t stop there, though. I added a layer of chocolate, then a layer of peanut butter, and then another layer of chocolate, to top the cheesecakes with a homemade peanut butter cup.

Y’all, I totally nailed it with this recipe. The cheesecake is creamy and smooth, while the peanut butter cup layer is rich and not too thick. These little threats are perfectly sized for sharing, too!

What do you get when you combine creamy cheesecake with rich and decadent homemade peanut butter cup bars? You get these Miniature Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecakes.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Protein Dip

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A healthy two ingredient snack that tastes like a sinful dessert? Yup! This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Protein Dip is as good for you as it is delicious.

A healthy two ingredient snack that tastes like a sinful dessert? Yup! This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Protein Dip is as good for you as it is delicious.

You can file this one under “recipes I should have posted years ago.” I first made this chocolate peanut butter cheesecake protein dip as a snack for my husband. He’s a picky eater, but he loves Greek yogurt, peanut butter, and apples. He’d often eat a serving of yogurt, as well as a sliced apple dipped in powdered peanut butter (mixed with water per serving instructions). One day it hit me that I could mix the powdered peanut butter with the yogurt and it’d probably taste pretty similar to cheesecake (another food J loves).

I was right. This stuff isn’t good for a healthy dip; it’s just good. One serving contains nine grams of protein and, depending on the brand of powdered peanut butter you buy, it’s gluten free, too. In addition, the recipe is low in carbs and calories and contains plenty of healthy fat.

Unsure what powdered peanut butter is? It’s exactly what it sounds like: peanuts are made into powder instead of fat-laden butter. Most peanut powders contain around 85 percent less fat than their butter counterparts. They also have healthy fiber and protein.

A healthy two ingredient snack that tastes like a sinful dessert? Yup! This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Protein Dip is as good for you as it is delicious.

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S’mores Cheesecake Bars

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What happens when you combine the classic flavors of s’mores with rich cheesecake? You get these creamy, dreamy S’mores Cheesecake Bars.

What happens when you combine the classic flavors of s'mores with rich cheesecake? You get these creamy, dreamy S'mores Cheesecake Bars.

Am I the only one whose greatest culinary creations are borne out of the simple need to use up ingredients in the kitchen? It’s the motivation behind my Crushed Oreo Triangles and Glazed Strawberry Lime Scones.

Now, it’s also the motivation behind these S’mores Cheesecake Bars. As I was mulling over ideas for a sweet treat to take to a staff party at school, I discovered we had two bricks of cream cheese chilling in the fridge. They needed to be used. J is a huge cheesecake junkie–when he isn’t requesting Homemade Peanut Butter Cup Bars–so I knew he’d be pleased if I went that route.

What happens when you combine the classic flavors of s'mores with rich cheesecake? You get these creamy, dreamy S'mores Cheesecake Bars.

Well, I love s’mores as much as J loves cheesecake, and I knew I could marry those two obsessions. Because I love being able to develop a recipe using just what I have on hand, I knew it was fate that I had a stray Hershey bar in my drawer of baking supplies.

Making these S’mores Cheesecake Bars was a solid decision. They’re surprisingly easy to make and, since they’re topped with s’mores ingredients, there’s no need to stress over getting that perfect crack-less top. People will be too blinded by the gooey marshmallows and melted chocolate to notice the fault lines.

What happens when you combine the classic flavors of s'mores with rich cheesecake? You get these creamy, dreamy S'mores Cheesecake Bars.

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